Burner-tip cleaner



e. w. JOHNSTON, 1;. BURNER TIP CLEANER APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, I919.

Patented Apr. 27

GEORGE W. JOHNSTON, JR., 0F RATHMEL, PENNSYLVANIA.

BURNER-TIP CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed October 2, 1919. Serial No. 327,887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. J oHNs'roN,

J12, a citizen of the United States, residing as fuel acetylene gas generated from calcium carbid.

One object is to provide a simple type of cleaner which may be operated to clean the burner tip whenever it becomes clogged or obstructed, and which will operate without cutting off the flow of gas and thereby ex tinguishing the lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaner which is adjustable to suit the length of the burner tip, and which is constructed so as to prevent leakage of gas.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accom panying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in vertical section, of a miners lamp embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the cleaner, showing the needle carrier tube in crosssection. 4

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the needle and a longitudinal section through its carrier tube.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a miners lamp of that kind designed to generate and burn acetylene gas, generated from calcium carbid, the carbid being con tained within a reservoir 2. The lamp is provided with a reservoir 3 for water, which is properly fed to the carbid within the chamber 2 for the generation of gas, the gas passing upwardly into a gas chamber 4;

Communicating with the gas chamber 4 is a forwardly pro ect1ng burner tube 5, upon which 1s fixedly secured a reflector 6.

Within the forward end of the tube 5 is fitted a burner tip or nipple 7, having a tapered bore or passage 8 through which the gas discharges, the discharging gas being ignited at the extremity of the tip for the purpose of forming a light flame.

In practice the bore 5 of the burner tip 7 frequently becomes clogged from deposits from the gas, requiring the cleaning of the burner from time to time. Devices have been provided for mounting upon lamps of this character which include a needle adapted to be actuated whereby the bore 8 of the burner tip may be cleaned whenever desired, but so far as 1 am aware none of these prior devices have for one reason or another gone into general use. The miner therefore generally carries with him a cleaning wire which he inserts from the exterior into the bore 8 so as to push the accumulated deposits back into the bore 5 and thus clear the bore. During this operation it is neces sary for the miner to remove the lamp from his cap, and to use another lamp to enable him to see during the time the tip is being cleaned, the disadvantages of which are obvious.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a cleaning device comprising a tapered needle 9, of a length corresponding to the length of the bore 8, said needle being, however, of a little less diameter than the bore, so that, while it is sufficiently large to clear the bore of accumulated deposits, it will not entirely clog the bore at any time. Hence even when the needle is fully inserted the flow of gas to the extremity of the burner tip will not be interrupted, my device accordingly having the advantage that the burner may be cleaned while it is in operation and without unintentionally or accidentallycutting off the flow of gas and extinguishing the light flame.

The needle 9 is carried by a threaded stem 10 having a cross-sectionally angular portion 11 and a tapered tip 12. The portion 12 is provided between the needle 9 and angular portion 11 in order to prevent the formation of an abrupt square shoulder liable to interfere with the flow of gas to the tip when the needle is fully projected, the tapered form of the portion 12 allowing the gas to flow freely into the rear end of the bore 9 when the needle is fully inserted. The stem 10 fits within. an internally threaded tubular carrier 13 which extends beyond the tube 5 into the gas chamber i and thus adjustably receives the needle stem. By this construction provision is made so that, upon the removal of the tip 7, or prior to the insertion of a certain size of nipple, an adjusting tool with an angular bore may be fitted over upon the needle for engagement with the portion 11 whereby the needle may be adjusted to vary its range of motion as required. The burner tips in use vary to some extent in size, and provision is thereby made whereby the needle may be adjusted as required so that it will have the right extent of cleaning motion to clear the bore 8 without closing said bore against the passage of gas. I

The carrier 13 is provided at its rear end with transverse apertures for the passage of a U-shaped crank 14!: upon a rock shai t having at its outer end an actuating handle 16 disposed at one side of the exterior of the gas chamber 4, the needle being thereby pivotally coupled to the crank member of the shaft so that by backward and forward rocking motions of the shalt the needle may be projected and retracted to the exact degree. The crank 4i is disposed 'ithin a bearing eye 17 upon the inner end of a bearing tube or lnishing 1.8 having a longitudinal bore through. which the crank shaft extends and in which the body of the shaft is journaled, the inner end of the shaft being journaled in a bearing opening in said bearing eye. The bushing tube 8 extends at right angles to the needle outwardly through an internally threaded opening 19 formed in the wall of the chamber 4;, such construction allowing the bushing tube to be readily and eonvein .iently fitted in position. It will oi? course be understood that the bushing tube may be removably mounted, so that repairs or replacement of parts may be permitted when required, or that it may be braced or otherwise fixed in position after being preliminarily adjusted.

The tube 18 projects to a desired degree upon the exterior of the lamp and receives an internally threaded cap 20, within which is contained a body of packing material. 21 which is adjustable by means of the cap to seal the tube against the leakage of any gas from the chamber 4:. In practice, asbestos or any other suitable packing may be employed, and the outer end of the bushing tube is concaved to receive it, thus enabling the packing to be adjusted to securely seal the bore of the tube against leakage.

In the use of the device it will be obvious that the needle is normally in the retracted position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which a portion of the needle projects slightly into the bore 8 of the burner tip 7 allowing to freely flow to the end of the tip for ignition. When however the tip becomes clogged by the accumulation therein of any deposits, the operator grasps and turns the handle 16 forwardly, thus moving the crank 1.4.- torwardly and projecting the needle so as to dislodge the obstruction and push it forwardly out at the forward end of the tip 7. In. this operation the needle does not at any time entirely close the bore'8, allowing gas to How and the lamp to remain burning during the cleaning operation. After the burner has been cleaned a backward movement of the handle will retract the needle, thus returning it to the normal position shown in Figs. 1. and 2. By the construction described a simple type of cleaner is provided which may be made and installed at a comparatively low cost, which may be easily and conveniently manipulated, and which will clean the burner tip without extinguishingthe flame, thus overcoming the objections to prior devices of this kind. The construction furthermore adapts the. needle to be constructed to suit burner tips varying in size as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim gas chamber communicating therewith, a nipple fitted in said tube, a carrier reciprocably mounted within the burner tube, a needle having a threaded portion adjustably engaging the carrier and an angular portion adapted for the reception. of a tool whereby it may be adjusted, and means for reciprocating said carrier.

:2. lamp having a gas chamber and a burner tube communicating therewith, a burner tip fitted within said tube, a needle movable within the bore of the burner tip, said needle having an angular portion and a threaded portion, an internally threaded carrier tube adjustably receiving the threaded portion of the needle, a bushing tube having a longitudinal bore and a bearing eye, a crank shaft journaled in said bushing tube and bearing eye and having a crank portion arranged. within the bearing eye and pivotally engaging the carrier tube, and a manipulating handle upon said rock shaft.

3. A lamp having a gas chamber and a burner tube communicating therewitl'i, Za burner tip fitted within said tube, a needle mounted to reciprocate within the tube and burner tip, a bushing tube fitted within the gas chamber at right angles to the needle, a carrier engaging the needle, a rock shait j ournaled in the bushing tube and having-.5 a crank member for reciprocating said carrier, a cap adjustably engaging the bushing tube, and packing between said cap and the outer end of the bushing tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. JOHNSTON, JR.

i. A lamp having a burner tube and a 

